Semper Fi
by Wilde Phyre
Summary: (Chapter 2 is up!)Tony learns that not everything can be taken for granted when Gibbs' team is sent out to investigate a serial killer who is leaving a trail of dead marines in his wake as he swepts across the country. Please READ & REVIEW!
1. Default Chapter

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Title:** Semper Fi 

**Author:** Wilde Phyre

**Pairing(s):** N/A

**Rating:** PG13

**Summary:** A serial killer is on the loose, leaving a trail of dead marines in his wake. Gibb's team set out to investigate, with a new agent amoung their ranks, and Tony learns that not everything can be taken for granted.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of the NCIS series. I am only borrowing the characters and torturing them a bit . ****

**Warning:** May contain spoilers of certain episodes

**Authors Note:** My very first NCIS fanfic, so please me nice. This chapter is really more of a prologue, to set the scene. Constructive critisim is welcome, but flamers beware!!! READ and REVIEW!!!!!!

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Chapter 1 

The persistent ringing of the phone stirred Gibbs from his silent reverie. Extremely irritated, he picked up the handset. "Gibbs" he answered shortly.

"Hey Gibbs, nice to hear you sounding so cheerful for once." Came the teasing voice on the other side of the line. "It's Rhys here."

"I know," he said, still annoyed by the untimely interruption. The computer screen in front of him glowed eerily as it systematically searched through its databases. "Do you make a habit of calling other people at this uncivilised hour?"

"Only when it's you, Gibbs. Do the words 'office hours' mean anything to you?"

"I don't have time to make small talk with you Rhys, what do you want?" he replied curtly.

"Blunt and straight to the point. I like that."

"Rhys.....," Gibbs said, the threat hanging unspoken between them.

"I'm calling to ask if my desk and badge are still waiting for me."

"You took too long to make up your mind. The position that I offered you two years ago has already been filled. Your 'desk' has been given to another agent."

"Then get another one," came the reply. "You have until Monday." The phone went dead in Gibbs' ear.

Too stunned to be angered by the self-confident words, a lazy grin slowly spread across Gibbs' face as he replaced the receiver. _"I knew there was a reason I liked her."_ he thought.

* * *

"Hey DiNozzo," Gibbs said, walking in with his morning coffee. "Did Rhys get in touch with you last night?"

"Yeah boss." Tony answered distractedly, not taking his eyes off the tiny Gameboy held in his hands, only moments away from erasing McGee's name from the high scores. Gibbs reached over and grabbed the game from him, before throwing it into the wastepaper bin.

"I find you playing with that thing again tomorrow and I'll tell the people down in finance we won't be needing that new desk after all."

"Won't happen again boss," Tony said, holding both his hands up in mock surrender and flashing his trademark million-dollar grin. "It's McGee's."

Abby looked up from the conversation she was having with Kate and shot Tony a dirty before turning to look at Gibbs. "So what Tony has been saying is true then? Rhys has finally decided to turn in her G-man badge and join us, over on the dark side? Awesome!" she exclaimed, her black pigtails bobbing enthusiastically.

"When's her flight coming in, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, ignoring Abby's excited outburst.

"Tomorrow night at about eight. I'm picking her up from the airport."

Gibbs nodded his approval, taking another sip of the pitch-black brew from the Styrofoam cup in his hands. "She found a place to stay yet?"

"Are you offering, boss?" Tony asked jokingly, but immediately dropped his grin when he caught sight of the glare Gibbs was directing at him. "She staying with me for while." he said, clearing his throat.

"Your apartment only has one bed." Kate pointed out skeptically. "You sure she wants to stay at your place?"

"Let's just say, we go way back."

* * *

"So who is this Rhys anyway?" Kate asked between mouthfuls of her tuna sandwich. She and Abby were having lunch together, seated on a bench in the park nearby. "Gibbs seems to really like her." 

"Oh yeah." Abby said, nodding her head. "Gibbs absolutely adores her. He offered her a job 'round the same time he offered a job for Tony, but she never accepted. The three of them worked on a joint jurisdiction case over in Baltimore. Couldn't stop talking about her for weeks afterwards."

"Why, what did she do? Shoot one of his ex-wives for him or something?" Kate joked.

"Close enough." Abby replied with a shrug. "She shot Gibbs."

Kate stared at her in open-mouthed wonder. "Are you sure he wasn't muttering curses and plotting revenge?"

"No, it was all good stuff. Apparently, there was like a miscommunication or something between NCIS, the feds and Baltimore PD and somehow Gibbs got taken hostage. Rhys shot Gibbs to get him out of the way. Nothing serious of course, but sure scared the hell out of the perp."

"Wow." Kate said, blinking her eyes in total amazement. "So that's how you get on Gibbs' good side huh? Never figured him to be the masochistic type," she added with a smirk.

"You'll totally like Rhys," Abby continued. "She's cool. Ducky and I met her when she came to visit Tony around Christmas last year. She pitched in on the case when we found a frozen marine in a city pond."

"Visit Tony? So she and Tony are dating or something? Is that why she's staying at his place?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"Hardly." Abby replied. "They've been best friends since they were like five or something. Apparently, they lived next door to each other and then went to high school and college together. Tony swears that it's a purely 'platonic' relationship, but between you and me? I _so_ don't believe him. She's too much of his type."

"And what type would that be?" Kate asked with a smile. "Anything with two legs and a head?"

"An ex-cheerleader."

"Gibbs was shot by a cheerleader?" Kate asked incredulously.

"And here I was, thinking that I'd heard it all."

"You'll be surprised." Abby replied, grinning.

TBC.

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PLEASE REVIEW TO KEEP THIS FANFIC ALIVE!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks to everyone who's replied so far!! I know quite a lot of people are worried that the new character Rhys, might turn out to be a mary-sue, but I can assure everyone that I'm trying my best to avoid that. If I do, however, start wandering into "mary-sue" territory, just give me a nudge. She does have a role to play in the grand scheme of things. As I've said before, this is my first NCIS fanfic, so I don't have a very good grasp of the genre yet, so please excuse me if some of it sounds a little 'off'. Once again, big thanks, and I hope everyone will continue to READ and REVIEW!!! _

_P.S To the Australian reviewer who stated that some of the dialogue made her 'think in American': Funny you should say that 'cause I'm Australian too :P_

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of the NCIS series. I am only borrowing the characters and torturing them a bit

**Warning:** May contain spoilers of certain episodes

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Chapter 2

Having arrived at work earlier than usual, Kate was surprised to see a woman sitting at the desk, which had once belonged to Christopher Pochee. Busy rifling through the drawers, the stranger did not notice Kate's presence as she walked towards her.

"Can I help you?" Kate asked, curiously.

Startled, the woman looked up, before breaking into a wide smile, which revealed a small dimple in her left cheek.

"Hello," she said. "I'm Clarisse Winters, the new agent?"

"Caitlin Todd." Kate replied, taking the offered hand and shaking it vigorously. The diminutive red head standing in front of her barely reached her shoulders, and for the first time in a long while, Kate found that she had to look down, to maintain eye contact. "You can call me Kate."

"Tony's told me a lot about you," Rhys said with a smirk, leaving Kate wondering uneasily about the kind of remarks Tony had made about her to their new colleague.

"So, um, Clarisse," Kate said, struggling to change the topic. "How come Tony's not here yet? I thought you were staying at his place for a while."

"It's Rhys," She replied. "And as for Tony, well, he didn't exactly come home last night. I'm not surprised either, seeing that he only has the one bed. I should probably move out soon, I think I'm starting to cramping his style," she said with a laugh.

"Only after two days?" Kate asked incredulously. "Figures," she muttered under her breath.

Before she could make another comment, however, the elevator doors opened and Gibbs stepped into the bullpen, talking on his cell phone, with Tony following not far behind.

"We've got a live one." Gibbs said, closing his phone.

"Where to?" Kate asked, immediately alert.

"The White Fang Hotel, Omaha city, Nebraska."

"Aww boss," Tony complained. "I just got here."

"I thought you liked flying out for cases." Rhys said teasingly.

"Exotic places Rhys, you know, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Gitmo......" he recited.

"What's wrong with Nebraska?" Kate asked with a smirk.

"I don't like corn." Tony answered solemnly as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

"Gibbs, NCIS." Gibbs said as way of introduction, eyeing the young police officer standing guard near the crime scene. Obviously a recent recruit, Gibbs could see a faint green tinge to his otherwise healthy complexion.

"Detective Calen Mackenzie, from Omaha PD, sir." He said, eagerly holding out his hand. Gibbs ignored the proffered hand and moved to take a closer look at the body, with Tony and Kate following close behind.

Trying to ease the young detective's embarrassment, Rhys extended her hand. "Rhys Winters. Nice to meet you, detective," she said, giving him a wide grin. Flushing red, Calen shook it weakly, before looking away.

"Hey Rhys!" Gibbs called out. "I'm not paying you to chat up the local rookies. Get over here and start bagging and tagging." Then, turning to Ducky, "You think it's another one?" he asked, staring at the military ID belonging to the victim, which had been deliberately placed next to the charred remains.

"Without proper equipment and the necessary tests Jethro, I can hardly - " Ducky started to say, but Gibbs interrupted him.

"I only want an educated guess, Ducky," he said.

"It would appear so." Ducky said with a sigh.

"So we're looking at crispy number three then?" Tony asked, looking up from his sketching. Kate gave him a withering glance, but before she could rebuke him, they noticed Rhys arguing with a man, who was trying to make his way towards them.

"This is a NCIS crime scene," Rhys said angrily. "You can't come in here." Stepping in front of the intruder in an attempt to stop him, he only gave her a once over glance, before brushing her aside with one arm and continued walking.

"Hey!!" Tony yelled furiously as Rhys stumbled and almost fell.

"I wan to see your superior, now." The man stated shortly.

"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS." He said, leaving Ducky with the body. Tony, Kate and Rhys stepped up behind Gibbs, forming an almost semi-circle around their boss and glared at the intruder.

"Special Agent Ryan Hayley, FBI," the man replied. Up close, the agent appeared to be in his late twenties, solidly built, and ruggedly handsome. "This is a federal investigation. NCIS have no right to be here."

"On the contrary," Gibbs said. "The victim was a Staff Sergeant in the US Marine Corps. We have every right to be here."

"From what I hear, this is the third victim to die in this manner and NCIS still haven't come up with any real leads. We are taking over the case, and I would appreciate if you and your people do not contaminate the crime scene," Hayley said.

Who is your superior, Agent Hayley?" Gibbs asked, getting out his cell. "Let me speak to him."

"You do that Agent Gibbs," Hayley said. "While you're having your nice little chat, I'll call my people to bag the evidence, and get our vic down to the morgue."

"It's our victim now," Kate smirked, indicating towards the white van that was driving off. As if on cue, Ducky stuck his hand out of the window and waved.

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Sitting in the stuffy interview room at the Omaha PD headquarters, Amelia Chandler and Dana Able shifted uncomfortably. At 19 years of age, the two college students glanced nervously at each other, before putting on a mask of indifference.

"Were you were you not with the victim, Staff Sergeant Nicholas Mills in the White Fang Hotel on the night of Friday, the 4th of November, 2004?" Kate asked in exasperation, asking the question for the fifth time. The two co-eds sitting opposite her were not co-operating.

"If you say so." Amelia answered vaguely, looking down at her manicured fingernails.

"Tell us what you know, ladies," Kate said. "Or we could charge you with obstruction of justice."

"We were having a good time, that's not a crime," Dana said defensively.

"What do you think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"I love the corn country." Tony answered distractedly, eyeing the girls. Seated next to each other, the shapely blonde, Amelia, and the athletic-looking African-American, Dana, made a striking pair.

"Anything _relevant_ you have to add?" Gibbs asked, barely containing his annoyance.

"Sorry boss," Tony apologised sheepishly, before turning his attention back to the situation at hand.

 "They know something." He said, observing the interview through the one-way glass. Gibbs nodded slowly, staring intently at the reluctant girls.

At this moment, Hayley burst into the darken room. "You have no right to detain them, Gibbs," he said. "Amelia and Dana are witnesses, not suspects. You had no right bringing them in for questioning."

"On a first name basis, are you?" Gibbs said. "I should have known."

Hayley flushed red before answering, "Your people stole the body, I have the witnesses. Only fair."

"I want answers," Gibbs said, glaring at the federal agent.

"I'll cut a deal with you," Hayley offered. "I'll get the witnesses to talk to your people, and you let me in on the investigation."

"I don't cut deals," Gibbs answered coldly.

Hayley waved him off dismissively. "Call it co-operation, whatever you want. I have the information you need."

Gibbs studied the young agent, before reluctantly agreeing.

"Good," said Hayley. "Let me talk to the girls."

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A/N: I'm not sure if "Pochee" is the right spelling of the name, but since that's how it's spelt on the transcripts at , it's the spelling I'm going to use. BIG thanks to my beta!! Please REVIEW! 


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